Saving Snape
by Only-eyes-for-Riddick
Summary: Nightmares have consumed Hermione since Severus died in the war ten years ago. She wants them to stop and does the only thing she can think of.
1. Chapter 1

**I don't own Harry Potter.**

**I know I'm supposed to be working on Secrets of a Chocolate Eyed Girl, but I had this idea pop into my head and couldn't get it out. Please enjoy this short little two-shot and don't forget to review! :)**

Hermione looked up at the Shrieking Shack. For the last ten years Hermione could not get it out of her head the events of that night. The night Professor Snape had died at Voldemort's will and Nagini's fangs.

She didn't know why, but the events of that night had haunted her, made her feel like she should have done something to save him, anything to save him. Now, she had to end the nightmares, and do something extremely reckless and foolish.

She looked down at what was in her hands. In one hand was Harry's invisibility clock that she had stolen from him last time she visited. She would have asked, but she knew that Harry would want an explanation, and she wasn't about to let him know her plans.

In the other hand was the same bag she had used during her entire seventh year. She took a deep breath and walked up to the Shrieking Shack.

She went to work quickly, setting up a small potions area in the bedroom where Snape had died. She could still see the blood on the ground from where he last lay.

No one had seen the body after they had rushed away, back to Hogwarts. No one could figure out what had happened to it, but she didn't care, she was going to save him this time.

After setting up her potions equipment she grabbed the cloak and pulled a necklace from under her shirt. It was a time-turner.

They were illegal, but she couldn't have cared less. Snape didn't deserve to die like that, he didn't deserve to die at all. If there was a chance in hell she could save him, she would dive into those fiery pits and do so.

She moved out of the room and down the stairs before entering a side room she knew no one else was in during that last battle. Holding the cloak close to her and taking the turner in her hands she started on her journey back in time.

Hermione stopped and looked around. This was the place, but was it the right time? She threw the cloak over herself just in case and started to walk up the stairs when she heard footsteps rushing down them. She quickly moved to the side.

She watched as she and Ron followed slowly by Harry, rushed out of the shack and back toward Hogwarts. This was the right time, she quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

She moved quickly up the stairs, knowing that he was all alone up there. She opened the door and took a deep breath to calm herself for what lay before her.

There was Snape, lying face down on the floor. They had left him there for dead, but Hermione had one more trick up her sleeve. She removed the cloak and leaned down and gathered Snape up in her arms. It took a lot of work, but she moved him over to the large dusty bed and placed him there.

She knew that her time was running out so she quickly gathered the cloak, wrapped the large chain around Snape's head, and started back to the future.

Once back she wasted no time starting on the potion. It was a quick potion, one she had created herself after many sleepless nights thinking of Snape's sacrifices to help Harry.

So much had changed in her since that night. Nightmares consumed her and thoughts of Snape kept her and Ron from ever becoming more than friends. Sometimes she felt like they were less than that.

As the potion began to simmer Hermione quickly tended to Snape's wound. His body wasn't cold yet, a good sign, as she began applying the salve she had made in advance. It healed the wound quickly and would start working on the poison in his system.

She turned back to the potion. It turned from a sickly green color to a brighter blue. She smiled, it was almost finished. Luckily she had been able to test it on her cat not too long ago when he had died from accidentally eating something he shouldn't have. It worked for him, surely it would work for Snape as well.

She looked over at him lying on the bed. She couldn't help the small smile at the hope that he would be alive again soon. There was so much she wanted to share with him that it shocked her.

In school she had always found herself thinking of Snape first and foremost when she was thinking about what would interest her in a boyfriend, not that she would have ever called Snape a boyfriend.

He was her intellectual equal and they had several similar interests. She had spent many nights in her dorm thinking about what it would be like to be with Snape, but she would always dismiss them as fantasies of a schoolgirl crushing on her professor.

She tried thinking about guys her own age at one point, even thinking Ron would be a good choice, but found that she was completely wrong on that. He had wanted someone like his mother who would stay at home and have lots of children, Hermione loved Molly Weasley but she didn't want to be like her. She had even been accused of letting a schoolgirl crush consume her life when she missed a date with Ron to work on the potion. That was a couple years ago and Ron had since moved on, but the words he had flung at her still stung.

The potion changed from blue to an almost milky white and Hermione quickly moved if from the heat to let it cool for a couple minutes. She walked back over to Snape and felt his skin. It was getting colder with every passing second. Hermione felt a tear start to form at her eyes as she rushed back over to the potion and quickly filled a vial before heading back over to her former professor.

"Drink this," she said, even though she knew he couldn't hear her. "Merlin, please let this work."

She gently opened his mouth and dumped to potion down his throat before rubbing his throat to help move it down his body. She took a step back and silently prayed that it worked.

Her heart pounded in her chest and tears filled her eyes, but refused to fall as she waited for any sign that her potion worked. "Please Snape," she whispered to herself. "Wake up, give me a sign that you're alive."

Almost as if he had heard her, the man on the bed began to groan. Hermione's head snapped up and she watched as his chest began to rise and fall, color returned to his paler than normal cheeks, his fingers began to twitch before the whole hand moved up and placed the hand on his head.

Hermione was breathing heavily, Snape was alive. He was alive! Her heart pounded in her chest and tears of joy filled her eyes. She had done it, she had saved him.

Severus Snape slowly opened his eyes and was met with a most strange sight. Hermione Granger was kneeling on the ground next to a bed he was laying on with a huge smile on her face and tears in her eyes.

Snape narrowed his eyes as he tried to remember. Harry, he had given his memories to Harry to prove his innocence and for once tell the truth of everything that hehad gone through for that boy. His hand brushed his neck where Nagini had bite him, but he felt nothing but smooth skin.

He looked again at Miss Granger. She hadn't moved, and was just staring at him with that smile on her face as tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Miss Granger," he said making her eyes widen. "What are you looking at?"

Hermione felt the tears rolling faster down her cheeks. She didn't care that he would probably hate it, but she jumped up and wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug as she sobbed into his chest.

Snape didn't move. Granger was... hugging him and crying. He looked around the room. It was daytime, and someone had set up a potions lab in the room. Granger was mumbling into his chest and Snape tried to ignore her, but then he heard was she was saying.

"You're alive, you're alive."

Snape's eyes widened. Had he died? He looked around. There was no way to bring someone back from the dead, he had to have just been unconscious or something. Miss Granger was exaggerating.

"Miss Granger, would you remove yourself from my person?" he snapped causing Hermione to move away from him, but the smile didn't leave her face.

"I...I'm so happy that you're alive," she said as she continued to stare at him. Snape sat up slowly. His whole body felt stiff, how long had he been out?

"Miss Granger, I doubt being knocked out for a few minutes would cause you to believe that I was dead. How long was I out for?"

Hermione's eyes widened but her smile never stopped. He was alive, who could care about anything else.

She took a deep breath. "Actually sir, you were dead."

Snape turned to her and glared at her. She smiled wider. Merlin it was good to see that look on his face again, and hear his voice, and look into his eyes. If she wasn't careful she would fall for him. She stood and started gathering up her things.

Who was she kidding? She had fallen for him years ago while still a student at Hogwarts. She just couldn't ever tell him that. She placed her items back in the bag. He wouldn't ever feel that way towards her.

He watched her before speaking. "No one can bring someone back from the dead," he said firmly. She turned to him, still smiling. What was wrong with this girl?

"I know, but I did." Her smile faltered as she looked down at the ground. "You were dead sir, Voldemort killed you."

Snape narrowed his eyes. He did remember Nagini biting him, and then extreme pain followed by total blackness. Was that what happened? Had he died?

He stood up and started walking towards her when he noticed the stain on the floor. A blood stain. It was right there at his feet and Hermione was staring at it before looking back up at him. Her smile gone as she stared at him.

It was then that he noticed that Hermione looked older. She didn't have the appearance of a teenager anymore, it was more that of a young woman that was closer in age to him than she should be. He looked at her and then noticed it hanging around her neck.

A time-turner.

"Miss Granger, what year is it?" he asked, almost scared of what the answer would be.

Hermione took a deep breath. He knew, he had figured it out. She knew that she wouldn't have been able to keep it from him, but she had hoped to avoid it for a little while longer and enjoy that fact that he was alive.

"Miss Granger," he said in a low tone, almost growling. She shivered as his voice rolled over her body. Merlin she had missed his voice.

"It's 2008," she said looking directly into his onyx eyes. She watched as the realization came over him.

"Ten years," he said to himself. He looked down at the blood stained floor. He looked back up at Hermione.

"That blood, was yours," she said softly. "You had been poisoned and were bleeding to death after Nagini got through with you. Harry took your memories and saw them. Then he went to Voldemort. We won the battle and Voldemort is gone.

"You were believed dead, no one ever found the body though. Harry had you cleared of all charges and you were given an Order of Merlin, First Class. It was placed in an empty coffin and buried under a tombstone with your name on it."

Snape's eyes widened as he sat back down on the bed. So many questions filled his head, but there was only one he really needed the answer to. "Why did you save me Miss Granger?"

Hermione looked up at him. A million reasons filled her head, but none of them seemed good at the moment. If she wanted to be honest then the real reason was... "I couldn't stand living another day in a world without you in it."

Snape looked at her, something akin to shock in his eyes. Hermione was looking at him, a small smile on her face. This girl before him had broken laws to save him. She had brought him back to life somehow and it was all because he was important enough to her that she needed him to be alive.

Snape took a deep breath. "Well Miss Granger," he said finally, "I suppose I have a lot to catch up on then."

Hermione smiled before gathering up all her things, Harry's cloak, and walking out of the shack with Severus Snape following behind her.


	2. Chapter 2

It had been six months to the day that Hermione Granger had brought him back to life. He spent the time living with Hermione in her small flat just outside Diagon Alley as he read and read and tried to catch up on the last ten years.

He learned the Minerva was now Headmistress at Hogwarts, and that so many had died in the war. Harry Potter had married Ginny Weasley and they had a couple children. Ron Weasley was a Quittitch coach after injuring himself last year and was engaged to a young witch that he had met while traveling. Severus even was able to read about himself.

He was mentioned in several history books and was even part of a series of novels that someone had written about Harry Potter. It was hard to see that someone like him was considered so important that they were included in the fall of the Dark Lord.

He stayed with Hermione because she had insisted that if something went wrong she needed to be by to help. It had been six months and nothing had changed. Hermione had given him a clean bill of health a week ago, but he had yet to leave. He didn't want to leave.

She lived alone and didn't seem to have any boyfriends, at least that he knew of. The only people who visited during his time here were Harry and Minerva.

Harry was shocked to find his potions professor alive and sitting in Hermione's living room. The boy-who-lived stared at him and then started to scream like a little girl that Hermione had a ghost in her living room.

After Hermione calmly explained what had happened Harry still looked at Snape suspiciously and even poked him once to make sure he wasn't intangible. To say Snape wasn't happy about it would be an understatement, but for Hermione's sake he kept quiet.

The woman had saved him, for no other reason than she needed to do so. She didn't do it because someone told her to, she didn't do it because threatened her, she did it for her, she did it for him.

Snape slept on the couch, actually he was just laying there looking up at the ceiling. She hadn't questioned why he hadn't left yet. She didn't even seem to think about it. She just left things the way they were. They worked together, brewing potions, reading, even cooking dinner together from time to time. Snape found he enjoyed the time he was spending with her.

Snape had waited for her to go to bed before changing and turning in himself. As tired as he was, sleep wouldn't come.

Then he thought he heard someone crying. He sat up and listened carefully. Someone was definably crying, he was sure of it. He stood up in just his pajama bottoms and softly walked down the small hallway to Hermione's room and pressed his ear to the door. Hermione was crying.

Slowly he opened the door, he didn't want to scare her and have her hex him before realizing what she had done. He didn't want her to feel guilty for hurting him, and he knew she would.

The door opened slowly and Snape entered and shut it behind him just as quietly. The girl on the bed didn't seem to notice his entrance. She continued to weep softly, so softly that he was surprised he heard it at all.

He walked over to her and touched her on the shoulder. "Hermione?" he whispered. She didn't answer. He gently shook her and said her name again. She groaned before rolling over towards him.

Her cheeks were stained from her tears, but her eyes were closed. She was crying in her sleep. He carefully slid into bed next to her and brought her close to him. He held her against him as she continued to sleep. The sobs stopped, but still he held her. She took a deep breath and sighed into his chest. He smiled, a true smile that no one would ever see in this darkness.

"Severus?" she said. She sounded confused. He pulled back and looked down into her dark brown eyes that were barely visible in the darkness. "What are you doing in my room?"

"I heard you crying in your sleep and came to check on you," he said to her. "What were you dreaming about?"

Hermione cuddled closer to him. "The war," she said. "I dream about it often. Usually it's about you and your death."

Snape's chest tightened. She had dreamed about what had happened to him, it caused tears to fall from her eyes. He held her to him. Merlin, what had happened to him?

He used to be feared, children ran from him in terror, he wasn't good at being nice, or sweet, or comforting. He wasn't good at this.

And yet here he was, lying in bed with Hermione, holding her and comforting her, washing away the memories of a nightmare that had long since passed. For Hermione he could do anything, wanted to do anything. He really cared about her, and not just because she had saved his life, but because she was doing everything she could to make sure he was taken care of, that he didn't have to worry about anything.

Merlin, he loved her.

Hermione just stayed as close as she could to him. His scent made the memory of the dream disappear, his heartbeat against her ear reminded her that he was alive and well, not dead like he had been in her nightmare.

He had been so good to her, helping her out even though he didn't need to. Sure she had saved him, but day by day he was saving her too. She was going insane thinking that he was dead, that she wouldn't ever see him again, and now he was right here and alive. Just seeing him made her feel like life was worth living.

She had told him he was free to go, but he hadn't left yet. For that Hermione was grateful and she wasn't about to bring up why he was still here and risk losing him. When had she become so dependent on his presence? Hermione Granger was an independent witch, who had to know that one specific wizard was alive to make it through her night.

"I'm sorry for waking you," she whispered to him.

He rubbed his hands up and down her back as he held her. "I wasn't sleeping," he said. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

She placed her hands on his bare chest and felt his warmth beneath her fingers. To think that one day she would be lying in bed with Severus Snape, she would have thought she was crazy. The problem was she was crazy when she thought he was dead, and she had to make sure he never left her again.

Merlin, she loved him.

He was her equal in every way, the only person who could challenge her and push her. She liked making dinner for him, taking care of him, she didn't want him to leave her.

He moved as if to get up and she grabbed him and held him to her. "Don't go," she said, whether she meant the room or her life she didn't know, but she wasn't going to risk it. Snape relaxed again and took her into his arms. She allowed him to slide under the blanket with her and the two fell asleep listening to the other breathe in the darkness.

The next morning Hermione awoke to find that Snape was staring at her. Her eyes widened slightly in surprise before she smiled and whispered to him. "Good morning."

He smiled back and Hermione thought her heart would leap out of her chest. He looked so much younger and handsome when he smiled. "Good morning to you," he said before pulling her closer to him.

She snuggled closer to him, enjoying the feel of the heat rolling off his body. He really was a sexy man with a body that any woman would want. It was the most beautiful thing Hermione had ever seen, and being this close to it made her remember that he was a grown man lying in bed with her. Her cheeks reddened as thoughts of an unpure nature crossed her mind.

Severus was facing his own problems. This very pretty witch was pressed up against him, and his body was enjoying the feel of her body against his very much, causing a very noticeable reaction. He was doing his best to keep Hermione from finding out, but when she shifted even closer he gasped out loud as she brushed him.

"Severus?" She looked up at him innocently. He believed she hadn't realized what she had done, but Merlin help him if she did it again. She moved and he groaned again. Merlin she was going to kill him...again.

"Severus, are you okay?"

He swallowed. "Yeah," he whispered. He grabbed Hermione before she moved again. "Stop moving for a second." She stopped and looked up at him in alarm.

"Are you sure you're okay? You look like you're in pain."

He almost laughed. He pressed his forehead against hers. "Only the sweetest agony there is my dear Hermione."

Hermione's heart leap at his words. She knew he couldn't mean it, but damn if she could tell her body that. Her heart was pounding.

"Is there anything I can do for you?" she said concerned. This time he did chuckle softly. Hermione's heart was pounding harder. "Did I say something funny?"

"Do you trust me Hermione?"

She blinked. "What?"

"Do you trust me?"

Hermione looked up at her old professor. He had died for the wizarding world, in a way died for her. He risked death and pain to spy on the other side for them, and she asks him now if she trusts him?

"How can you ask that?" she said. "There's no one I trust more."

Severus looked into her eyes and for minute she was sure she would drown in them. He still was smiling down at her. He was very happy this morning for some reason. He leaned forward and gently pressed his lips to hers.

Hermione gasped giving Severus the access he needed to possess her completely, and he took it. He deepened the kiss pulling her closer to him. Her body pressed right against his and Hermione found he was more than just happy this particular morning.

He pulled back from her. "You did this to me," he whispered looking deep into her eyes. Hermione blushed, but didn't move away. "You did this with your innocent looks, sweet caring, and your beautiful smiles. You are the reason I'm glad I'm alive."

Hermione looked down at his chest, at her hands gently caressing him. "I didn't want you to leave," she whispered. "I thought you would leave as soon as you could and when you didn't I was so relieved."

"I can't leave you," he said. "I care about you too much. Hermione," he lifted her eyes to his, "I love you."

Tears filled her eyes. Hermione couldn't believe that the words she had wanted to hear for the past ten years had finally passed his lips. She kissed him softly, touching his warm skin with her fingers.

"I've waited over ten years to hear those words," she said to him with a wide smile. Merlin she was beautiful when she smiled. "I never thought I would hear them from you. Oh, Severus, I love you."

He kissed her again and held her to him. She listened to the heartbeat in his chest and smiled. This was the Severus Snape she had saved, the one she had rescued from the dead. One day they would have to tell the world what had happened, but right now he was hers and she was his and that was all that really mattered.


End file.
